Jackie's Warrior Asserts Dominance in Churchill Downs
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Photo: Skip Dickstein/Tim Lanahan
Jackie's Warrior races beneath the Twin Spires in winning in the Churchill Downs Stakes at Churchill Downs
After watching Jackie's Warrior win a grade 1 race on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard, co-owner J. Kirk Robison decided to try something new.
With a hand from assistant trainer Scott Blasi, longtime owner Robison led Jackie's Warrior into the Churchill Downs winner's circle after watching his champion male sprinter post a dominating, front-end victory in the $750,000 Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) May 7.
"I've never done that before," Robison said. "Wow, I was so close to him. I could feel him breathing on me. That was special; I mean I'm a city guy, not a horse guy, so that was fun, a lot of fun."
Robison campaigns Jackie's Warrior with his wife, Judy, who exchanged a winner's circle hug with winning trainer Steve Asmussen after the race. Kirk Robison said Jackie's Warrior is far and away the best horse he's ever campaigned.
"He's number one, number two, number three, four, and five," Robison said. "He's the best I've ever had. I've had some nice horses but he's the real deal."
The winning connections had no problem picking up Jackie's Warrior when the field of seven older horses broke from the gate for Saturday's seven-furlong test as the 4-year-old son of Maclean's Music broke well under Joel Rosario and seized a clear lead through a quarter-mile in :22.76. Rosario kept Jackie's Warrior three or four paths off the rail as he raced well within himself while posting a half-mile in :45.50 with longshot Sir Alfred James and last year's Qatar Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Aloha West pursuing 1 1/2 lengths back.
Racing in the five path into the lane, Jackie's Warrior increased his advantage to three lengths in mid-stretch and would be wrapped up late as he cruised to a four-length victory. He completed seven furlongs in 1:21.95 on a fast track to secure the fourth grade 1 victory of his career and surpass $2.3 million in earnings.
"I thought Joel said it best before the race when we were just standing in the paddock," Asmussen said. "He said, 'They don't come along like this all the time, do they?'"
Scott Blasi joins Jackie's Warrior and Joel Rosario after winning the Churchill Downs Stakes at Churchill Downs
Jackie's Warrior has grade 1 wins for each of the seasons he's raced. As a juvenile, he captured the Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Then last year at Saratoga he won the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1); one of his four graded stakes wins in landing an Eclipse Award. He prepped for Saturday's test with a victory in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 16 at Oaklawn Park.
"Enough cannot be said for Kirk and Judy to make a financial sacrifice and keep this horse in training," Asmussen said. "It's like Kirk said, 'I've never had one like him and I doubt if I'll ever have another one like him.' I was just extremely pleased to get the chance to run him as a 4-year-old."
Rosario said Jackie's Warrior was comfortable racing away from the rail.
"It seemed better to keep him off the rail. It seemed to be a better place for him," Rosario said. "He's an amazing horse—the speed that he is able to give you. He is just a strong horse, to get out of there (at the start)—like a Quarter Horse, and to keep going with that speed. He's just there for you whenever you ask."
Following Jackie's Warrior under the wire Saturday was Klaravich Stables' Reinvestment Risk in second, and Aloha West another length back in third. Reinvestment Risk entered off a runner-up finish to Speaker's Corner in the April 9 Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct while Aloha West was making his first start since the Breeders' Cup.
Favored Jackie's Warrior returned $4, $3.20, and $2.40, while Reinvestment Risk paid $4.20 to place and $2.80 to show. Aloha West also returned $2.80 to show.
After last season, Jackie's Warrior had successful knee chip surgery and was given time off until the Count Fleet. Asmussen said Saturday's race was the first goal on the schedule and he'll take some time to consider the next target. He does believe that his champion has improved at age 4.
"He's older, he's more mature; I think the level of confidence that he's gotten," Asmussen said. "As beautiful as he was last year, as expected, he's older, more mature, bigger, prettier."
Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, Jackie's Warrior is out of the winning A. P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl, who has produced two winners from three starters. She has an unnamed juvenile colt by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and a 2022 weanling filly by multiple leading sire Into Mischief .
Kirk Robison went to $95,000 to land Jackie's Warrior at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.